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Posted May 23, 2013 12:04 am

Alaskan Pale Ale to be discontinued due to hops shortage

Alaskan Brewing Co. announced this week that they will cease production of one of their signature year-round beers, Alaska Pale Ale, due to the dwindling availability of a key ingredient, American Tettnanger hops. Only about a one-month supply of the beer remains, according to Alaskan Brewery distributors.

The scarcity and quality of the hops has been a concern for the past several years, said Alaskan Brewing’s Quality Assurance Manager David Wilson in a release.

“With most hop varieties we are able to order based on the characteristics we are looking for in the taste and aroma, but because so few farmers are growing this hop, we have had a hard time coming up with the consistency we need to brew Alaskan Pale year-round,” he said.

Alaskan Pale became the brewery’s second year-round product in 1988, following Alaskan Amber. A golden ale, the beer has won many awards over the years, including a gold medal at the North American Beer Awards in 2011, and a silver medal at the World Beer Cup in 2006.

Alaskan Brewing Co., founded in December 1986 by Geoff and Marcy Larson, currently distributes their beer to 12 western states. In addition to Alaskan Amber and, formerly, Alaskan Pale, year-round beers produced by the brewery are Alaskan IPA, Alaskan White, Alaskan Stout and, most recently, Freeride APA. The brewery also makes three seasonal beers and a wide variety of limited edition and rough draft varieties.

No direct replacement is planned for the Alaskan Pale at this time, but Marcy Larson said the brewers are always trying new things.

“We are always experimenting with different recipes, and we would love to find a similar flavor profile to the Alaskan Pale, as many of us will miss this beer tremendously,” Larson said. “But we wanted to be honest in that without those specific hops, it will not be the same beer.”